Convertible rolling mill



April 17, 1962 J. MCMARTIN CONVERTIBLE ROLLING MILL Filed Nov. 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

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FIG. 2

INVENTOR JAMES I. McMARTlN WM f ATT RNEYS I I 'll April 17, 1962 J. |.MMART1N CONVERTIBLE. ROLLING MILL Filed Nov. 12, 1959 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 QINVENTOR. I

FIG. 3

JAMES I. McMARTIN BY W i if F 444 TWiKT V l 3,029,669 CONVERTIBLE RULLING MILL James I. McMartin, West Hartford, Conn, assignor to The Fenn Manufacturing Company, Newington, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Filed Nov. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 852,389 4 Claims. (CI. 80-54) This invention relates to improvements in rolling mills, and more particularly to a compact rolling mill which is readily convertible for operation as a horizontal mill and as a vertical mill.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my earlier application, Serial No. 729,603, filed April 21, 1958, now abandoned.

Of the two types of rolling mills in common use in this country, the most widely employed is the horizontal mill, wherein the plane of the work passing through the rolls is horizontal or parallel to the bed. More recently, the vertical mill, wherein the plane of the work is normal to the bed, has come into widespread use, particularly for powder metallurgy applications. Accordingly manufacturers and laboratories have had to purchase and install separate rolling mills.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rolling mill which can be readily converted by reorientation of the parts for use as a vertical mill and as a horizontal mi-ll, thus providing an assembly of greater utility.

It is also an object to provide a compact rolling mill utilizable both as a vertical mill and horizontal mill which is simply and ruggedly fabricated, readily and facilely convertible, and which is further provided with means insuring proper orientation of the parts in both positions of operation without alteration or repositioning of the source of driving power.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a rolling mill incorporating the invention with the pressure rolls thereof in position for operation as a horizontal mill.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but with the pressure rolls positioned for operation as a vertical mill;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view intermediate the roll housings of FIGURE 2 and showing the slide in elevated position; and

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the gear housing and bed with the horizontal mill position shown in full line and the vertical mill position and gears shown in phantom.

Referring in detail to the attached drawings, the rolling mill is generally comprised of a bed 2 which serves as a sup-port for the roll stand, generally designated by the numeral 4, which is formed by the pair of spaced roll housings 6 and 8. Transverse tubular spacers 10-, which are positioned between the housings near the corners thereof, and elongate bolts 12 which extend through the housings and spacers, firmly hold the housings in spaced parallel relationship and thus enable the handling of the roll stand 4 as a unitary, self-supporting assembly upon detachment from the bed 2.

Each of the housings has a pair of mounting surfaces A and B at right angles to each other which are defined of bolts 28 to fasten the roll stand to the bed on mounting surface B, as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Journalled in the housings 6 and 8 are a pair of Work engaging pressure rolls 30 and 32. Pressure roll 30 is fixedly oriented in the housing with its axis spaced equidistantly from the mounting surfaces A and B, so that the axis thereof is fixed-1y oriented with respect to the top of the bed in either mounting position of the roll stand.

The second pressure roll 32 is slidably movable in the housing and is maintained in position by pressure blocks 34 and lead screws 36 which are manually adjustable by one of a pair of concentrically mounted. and axially spaced hand wheels 38 and 49 which drive worm gears (not shown) in the housings 42 and 44. This assembly of roll housings, rolls and associated adjustment mechanism is commonly known as a screw-down unit or roll stand.

Roll 30 is driven directly by bull gear 46 on the aligned drive shaft 4-3 which is rotatably mounted in and projects through gear housing 50. Universal coupling 52 provides a disengageable connection between the drive shaft 48 and roll 3%. As in the roll stand 4, gear housing 50 is provided with a pair of mounting surfaces C and D at right angles to each other, respectively defined by bases 54 and mounting brackets 56. The axis of shaft 48 is similarly spaced equidistant-1y from each of the mounting surfaces to define a fixed axis of shaft rotation with respect to the top of the bed. A second shaft 58 rotatably mounted in gear housing 50 has its axis in substantial alignment with roll 32 and derives power from drive shaft through transmission gears (not shown) in gear housing 50 and is disengageably connected to the roll 32 by universal coupling 60.

As illustrated in FIGURE 4, bull gear 46 is drivingly engaged with power gear 61 driven by a motor (not shown) housed in the bed or adjacent to the bed depending upon power requirements and size. Guard 47 encloses bull gear 46 and the power gear 61, and is rotatable about the drive shaft 48 during reorientation of the gear housing so that'it need not be removed.

Gear housing 56, which is preferably of unitary construction, is provided with bosses 62 in the front thereof and bosses 64 in the rear which are bored to receive bolts 66 for fastening the gear housing to the bed on mounting surface C, as shown in FIGURE 1. Mounting brackets 56 are similarly bored to receive bolts 67 for fastening the gear housing on mounting surface D, as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

To insure and facilitate alignment of the axes of rolls 3t) and 32 and shafts 48 and 54, the top of the bed 2 is provided with mounting pads 68 and 70 having guideways which cooperate with registering guideways in the mounting surfaces of the roll stand and gear housing to receive an aligning key 71, portions of which extend into each guideway. Pad 68 is provided with a pair of such guideways 72 and 74, the forwardone of which cooperates with a registering guideway '76 in the bosses 16 to align the roll stand in the position illustrated in FIGURE 2. The central guideway 74 cooperates with a registering guideway 78 in the base of the roll stand for alignment in the position illustrated in FIGURE 1. A centrally disposed guideway 80 in pad 70 registers with both the cooperating guideway 82 in bases 54 and the cooperating guideway 3 34 in brackets d6 to align the axis of the shaft 48 in fixed orientation.

Referring further to FIGURE 1 wherein the parts are in position for operation of the mill with the plane of the work passing through the rolls parallel to the top of the bed, a runin table 86 is fastened to the front of roll housing, and a similar run-out table (not shown) is fastened to the rear of the roll housing to complete the assembly for operation as a horizontal mill.

Referring further to FIGURES 2 and 3 wherein the parts are in position for operation with the plane of the 'work normal to the bed, the top of the bed is provided with an aperture 88 which extends through the mounting pad 68 and the work issuing from the rolls passes therethrough into the body of the bed. Removable slide 90 is elevated into the position shown in FIGURE 3 for vertical mill operation and secured in place by the hanger 91 to carry the work product out through an aperture 92 in the rear of the bed.

Referring to FIGURE 4, the present invention is illustrated as applied to gear housing 56 and drive shaft 48. The gear housing 50 is shown in full line in the horizontal mill position, and in phantom in the vertical mill position. The axis of the drive shaft 48 remains in the same fixed position with respect to the bed and the power gear 61 in either position of the housing, although the axis of the second shaft 58 changes from defining a vertical plane with the drive shaft to defining a horizontal plane therewith. In this manner, bull gear 46 is drivingly engaged with power gear 61 in either position of the housing and does not require adjustment or alteration of the drive gear and power means.

As is readily apparent, the rolling mill of the present invention may be readily converted for operation either as a horizontal or vertical mill by simple reorientation of the roll stand and gear housing. It is only necessary to disconnect the universal couplings and remove the fastening bolts, after which the roll stand and gear housing may be reoriented by use of a chain hoist or the like.

Gear housing 50 may be reoriented without removing bull gear 46 from drive shaft 48, and the guard 47 may simply be rotated about the drive shaft during the reorientation. The cooperating guideways in themounting pads and mounting surfaces together with the bolt holes in the top of the bed facilitate and insure proper alignment of the roll stand and gear housing during conversion. Since the axes of drive shaft 48 and roll 30 are equidistantly spaced from either mounting surface and thereby fixedly oriented with respect to the top of the bed, they are substantially alinged in either position to define a fixed drive axis. Thus, the source of power which drives the bull gear need not be repositioned or adjusted as a result of conversion, enabling speedy and simple reorientation of the parts into either work position.

I claim:

1. A rolling mill for operation with the plane of the work parallel to the top of the bed and readily convertible for operation with the plane of the work normal to the top of the bed comprising a bed; a roll stand having a first mounting surface releasably fastened to said bed and a second mounting surface normal thereto; a pair of parallel extending work-engaging rolls journalled in said roll stand with the plane through their axes parallel to said second mounting surface and normal to said first mounting surface, the axis of one of said rolls being spaced a predetermined equal distance from both of said mounting surfaces to define a fixedly oriented roll axis with respect to the top of the bed; and driving means on said bed for driving said rolls including a first drive shaft drivingly connected to said one roll and a second drive shaft drivingly connected to the other roll, said first drive shaft having its axis spaced at distance from the topof the bed equal to said predetermined equal distance of said one roll and in substantial alignment with the axis of said one roll, whereby the axis of said first drive shaft and the axis of 4 said one roll define a fixed drive axis with respect to the top of said bed in both mounting positions and the mill may be readily converted for operation into the desired orientation of the plane of the work.

2. A rolling mill for operation with the plane of the work parallel to the bed and readily convertible for operation with the plane of the work normal to the top of the bed comprising a bed; a roll stand having a first mounting surface releasably fastened to said bed and a second mounting surface normal thereto; a pair of parallei-extending work-engaging rolls journalled in said roll stand with the plane through their axes parallel to said second mounting surface and normal to said first mounting surface, the axis of one of said rolls being spaced a predetermined equal distance from both of said mounting surfaces of the roll stand to define a fixed axis of roll rotation with respect to the top of said bed; a gear unit having a first mounting surface releasably fastened to said bed and a second mounting surface normal thereto; a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said gear unit with its axis spaced from both mounting surfaces thereof a distance equal to said predetermined equal distance of said one roll and in substantial alignment with the axis of said one roll to define a fixed drive shaft axis with respect to the top of the bed; a second shaft rotatably mounted in said gear housing with its axis in substantial alignment with the axis of'the other of said rolls; drive means connected to said drive shaft; transmission means between said drive shaft and said second shaft; and disengageable means coupling said shafts and said rolls for power transmission therebetween, whereby the axis of said drive shaft and the axis of said one roll define a fixed drive axis in both mounting positions of the roll stand and gear unit and the mill may be readily converted into the desired orientation of the plane of the work.

3. A rolling mill for operation with the plane of the work parallel to the bed and readily convertible for operation with the plane of the work normal thereto comprising a bed; a gear unit having a first mounting surface releasably fastened to said bed and a second mounting surface normal thereto; a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said gear housing with its axis spaced a predetermined equal distance from both of said mounting surfaces; a drive gear mounted on said drive shaft for driving engagement with an associated power gear; a second shaft rotatably mounted in said gear unit, the plane through the axes of said shafts being parallel to said second mounting surface and normal to said first mounting surface; power transmission means between said drive shaft and second shaft; cooperating guide means on said bed and on both mounting surfaces of said gear housing for fixedly orienting the axis of said drive shaft with respect to the top of the bed; a roll stand having a first mounting surface releasably fastened to the bed and a second mounting surface normal thereto; a pair of parallei-extending work-engaging rolls journalled in said roll stand with the plane through their axes parallel to said second mounting surface and normal to said first mounting surface, the axis of one of said rolls being spaced from both mounting surfaces of said roll stand a distance equal to said predetermined equal distance of said drive shaft and in substantial alignment with the axis of said drive shaft; cooperating guide means on said bed and on both mounting surfaces of the roll stand for fixedly orienting the axis of said one roll with respect to the top of said bed and with respect to said fixedly oriented drive shaft axis; and disengageable means coupling the shafts and rolls for power transmission therebetween, whereby the axis of said drive shaft and the axis of said one roll define a fixed drive axis in both mounting positions of the roll stand and gear unit and the mill may be readily converted into the desired orientation of the plane of the work.

4. A rolling mill for operation with the plane of the work parallel to the bed and readily convertible for operation with the plane of the work normal thereto comprising a bed; a power mechanism in said bed including a power gear; a gear unit having a first mounting surface releasably fastened to said bed and a second mounting surface normal thereto; a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said gear unit with its axis spaced from both mounting surfaces a predetermined equal distance; a

, driven gear mounted on said shaft in driving engagebed and a second mounting surface normal thereto; a

pair of parallel-extending work-engaging rolls journalled in said roll stand with the plane through their axes parallel to said second mounting surface and normal to said first mounting surface, the axis of one of said rolls being spaced from both mounting surfaces of said roll stand a distance equal to said predetermined equal distance of said drive shaft and in substantial axial alignment with the axis of said drive shaft; cooperating guide means on said bed and on both mounting surfaces of said roll stand for fixedly orienting said one roll with respect to the top of said bed and said fixedly oriented drive shaft; and disengageable means coupling said shafts and rolls for power transmission therebetween, whereby the axis of said drive shaft and the axis of said one roll define a fixed drive axis in both mounting positions of the roll stand and gear unit and the mill may be readily converted into the desired orientation of the plane of the work.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 966,089 George Aug. 2, 1910 2,036,101 Rohn Mar. 31, 1936 2,825,671 Langhart et al. Mar. 4, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,055,321 France Oct. 14, 1953 1,072,276 France Mar. 10, 1954 957,930 Germany Feb. 14, 1957 752,657 Great Britain July 11, 1956 OTHER REFERENCES Article by Richard A. Smucker, Iron and Steel Engineer, July 1959, page 118. 

